Wrench.



J. NEWBAUER.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1909.

95,346., Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

WITN ES$E$.

2. ff Wm ANDREW BIGRANAM c0. HIOTO-UMMAPKERS. WASNINGTON. n. c.

JOHN NEWBAUER, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

Application filed May 1, 1909. Serial No. 493,377.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN l nwnnunn, a resident of Homestead, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in renches; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to wrenches. Its object is to provide a wrench ofthe type usually known as a nut wrench, or screw wrench, which will beconvenient in adjustmentand at the same time very strong inconstruction.

It consists, generally stated, in a wrench having a body portion and ajaw affixed thereto, a slot in said body portion, a reciprocally movabletherein and a threaded bar rotatable therein and adapted to move saidjaw.

It also consists in certain other improvements hereinafter set forth,including a reversible nut or pipe construction of jaw.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a wrench embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 is a like view partly cut away showing the fasteningmechanism in set position; and Fig. 3 a detail view similar to Fig. 2showing the jaw fastening mechanism in unset or open position. Fig. 4 isa cross section on the line 44, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a like crosssection of Fig. 3.

The wrench is shown with. the ordinary straight handle 1 often employedin this type of wrench, having the fixed aw 2 conveniently formedintegral therewith on one side of the body portion The body portion 3 isalso provided with the slot 4 extending from the fixed jaw to the otherend of the body portion. The movable jaw 5 is provided with a featheredportion or key 6 which slides in the slot 4, being held in said slot 4by the flanges 7 and 8 running along the edge of said slot, as shown,and fitting within the corresponding depressions or grooves 7, 8 in themovable jaw 5. The key 6 extends preferably only part of the width ofthe jaw 5, having the recess 6 into which the thumb handle 16 can play,thereby increasing the size of work which may be gripped by the aws. Themovable jaw has the straight face 9 normally par allel to thecorresponding face 10 of the fixed jaw 2 and adapted for ordinary nut orscrew work. The movable jaw 5 has also the serrated face 11 which may beemployed in pipe work when the aw 5 is reversed, as described below.

The threaded bar 12 has the interrupted threads 13 and 14, each of whichgroups of threads extends nearly one-fourth of the circumferencethereof. This threaded bar 12 preferably rotates in the socket 15 in thebody portion 3 of the wrench; and is provided at the other end with thethumb handle 16 for convenience in turning. The interrupted threads 13and 14 are construct ed to mesh with the corresponding threads 16 on theinner end of the key 6 of the movable jaw 5, and with the correspondinginterrupted threads 17 set opposite thereto along the inner side 18 ofthe slot 4. By this construction, in which the extension on key 6 of themovable jaw 5 is of the same or less width than the j aw portion, butfits firmly within the slot 4, in which the threaded bar 12 also tits, Iprovide a wrench. which will grip work of a large size without having afin or projection of any kind extending outside of the wrench head. Thisis of great advantage in a wrench of this type, which is often insertedwithin a confined or inconvenient space.

The socket 15 has preferably the spring 15 set therein and bearingagainst the end of the bar 12. This spring 15 prevents rattling andkeeps the bar in set position where only a slight turn is required, asexplained below. The thumb handle 16 of the threaded bar is arranged toabut against the shoulder 28 on the body portion 3 and to prevent thebar 12 being turned so far in the locking direction as to unmesh thethreads.

Vhen not in use the parts are normally in a position like thatillustrated in Fig. 3, the movable jaw 5 being prevented from slidingout the end of the slot 4 along the smooth face 20 of the threaded bar12 by some convenient catching means, such as the spring 21 secured tothe threaded bar by the screw 22 and playing in the recess 23 therein.\Vhen it is desired to grip a piece of work 24, as indicated in Fig. 3,the jaw 5 is conveniently slid along into contact with the work by hand.This is possible, as the interrupted threads are not in engagement, butare in the position shown clearly in Fig. 5, the threads 16 on themovable jaw 5 running along the smooth face 20 of the threaded bar 12.After contact with the work, the handle 16 is given a partial rotationwhich sets the jaw 5 and at the same time tightens it slightly so as tofurther grip the Work. This rotation may be carried to much more thanonefourth of a complete turn and, therefore, the accurate grippingability of the wrench is greatly increased by this device of myinvention. This is of special value in pipe work.

Where the wrench is to be employed for nut purposes, the threaded bar isfirst turned to one set position and the jaw 5 is slid out through theend of the slot 4, the spring 21 being held down by the finger so as toadmit of the jaw passing thereover. The jaw can then be turned aroundand re-inserted in the slot 4, assuming the position illustrated in Fig.2. The threaded bar may be removed bodily from the wrench after the jawhas been removed, as the flange 24 near the handle portion thereofextends only part way around the bar, playing against the shoulder 25when the threads are not in meshed position.

It will be observed that by my invention the body portion 3 and grippingmembers of the wrench are very little weakened by the adjustingmechanism. This I believe to be lacking in the prior art, in whichwrenches of this character having adjustable jaws have also necessarilyvery weak constructions where the greatest strain must be resisted. j

that I claim is:

1. A wrench having a body portion and a jaw afiixed thereto, atransverse slot in said body oortion, a jaw reciprocally slidablethereln, a bar rotatable therein, a

threaded connection between said bar and said slidable jaw, and a springin engagement with said bar.

2. A wrench having a body portion and a jaw aflixed thereto, atransverse slot in said body portion, a jaw reciprocally movable thereinprovided with a thread, a stud rotatable therein provided with aninterrupted thread, and a spring in said slot arranged to engage the endof said stud.

3. A wrench having a body portion and a fixed jaw, a slot in said bodyportion, a jaw slidable in said slot provided with a threaded innerface, a bar rotatable in a seat in said body portion provided with aninterrupted thread adapted to engage said threaded face, a spring insaid seat pressing on said bar, and means for turning said bar.

In testimony whereof, I the said JOHN NEWBAUER have hereunto set myhand.

JOHN NEIVBAUER.

'Witnesses:

WM. A. STEINMEYER, JOHN F. WILL.

